“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1 When did God become flesh? At conception? At birth? If Jesus Christ had been aborted during Mary’s pregnancy, would it have been just a blob of issue destroyed, or the Son of God? After the angel revealed God’s plan for man’s redemption to Mary, she responded, “Be it done unto me according to thy word!” The Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Highest overshadowed her. The virgin was with child and the child within her womb was the Son of God! Emmanuel! God with us! Unto Joseph, Mary’s espoused husband, the angel of the Lord said, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary…for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 1:20) “That which is conceived” leaves no room for doubt or question. The Bible says that human life begins at conception, not birth. And each human life is valuable in the sight of God, no exceptions. God created man in His own image and likeness. God breathed His very life into man’s nostrils. Man is sacred to God, different and set apart from all other forms of life. God has a plan and purpose for each one of us. No one is disposable. No one is a “throw away.” And all of mankind need each gift of life that God gives. Each death is our loss. This Christmas season as we are thanking God for the Gift of Eternal Life in Jesus Christ and celebrating His birth, let’s remember all the precious gifts of life that God has sent, which will never be “unwrapped”, allowed to be born, to be held, loved, and treasured. Is there room in our hearts for them? My hope and prayer is for everyone to have a blessed Christmas, making room in our hearts for the glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Savior, Jesus Christ. And then can we make room in our hearts for all the precious gifts of life that He sends?

Resolution to Protect the Honor of the Flag of the United States of America

Whereas: In 1776 General George Washington headed a Congressional Committee authorized to design and produce one official Flag, which could be clearly distinguished at sea and not mistaken on land; a Flag representing the unity, strength, and noble purpose of the United States of America, a new Flag for a new Country, and

Whereas: The Congressional Committee of George Washington, Robert Morris and John Ross commissioned Philadelphia resident, Mrs. Betsy Ross to sew a Flag of red and white stripes, with white stars on a field of blue. The Flag’s colors and shapes were carefully chosen: Blue, a strong color; White, a pure color; and Red, a brave color. The thirteen stripes of red and white were to represent the original thirteen colonies, joined together in unity as one. A star is a symbol of light and truth. On the field of deep blue bunting was a white star for each state, showing each state being equal, and

Whereas: This Red, White and Blue Flag has henceforth been the standard and emblem of the United States of America. It has been proudly displayed at every Fort, boldly carried onto every battlefield, gloriously waved aboard every American ship and sharply saluted by every American soldier throughout our history. Throughout the world, the “Stars and Stripes” are raised at sunrise after the trumpeting of “Reveille”, and reverently lowered at sunset to the haunting sounds of “Taps,” and

Whereas: During the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key penned the profound words about our flag in what became our National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”. It ignited the flame of patriotism and continues to inspire all Americans as we see that “our Star Spangled Banner yet waves, over the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Americans salute our flag and sing our national anthem at every ball game and community gathering where Americans meet in every city, town and village, and

Whereas: In World War II at Iwo Jima in 1945, the United States Marines fought their way through to the top of Mount Suribachi to raise our American Flag in hard-fought victory. Photographer Joe Rosenthal captured the inspiring picture of the triumphant flag-raising, which circulated the globe, giving hope to free and enslaved people everywhere, and

Whereas: It is the American Flag which drapes the coffins of all our fallen soldiers and is presented to the surviving families. That flag symbolizes that our soldiers have not died in vain but for a noble cause, and

Whereas: Henry Ward Beecher, a prominent 19th Century clergyman and social reformer, stated: “A thoughtful mind, when it sees a nation’s flag, sees not the flag only, but the nation itself; and whatever may be its symbols, its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag the government, the principles, the truths, the history which belongs to the nation that sets it forth,” and

Whereas: “Old Glory” has been reverently acknowledged by patriots of every age. Americans cannot be separated from the emblem that stands for us. Our flag is a part of us, and we of it. An attack on the American Flag is an attack on the American people, “and the republic for which it stands.” An assault on the Flag is an assault on the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of the people over which the Flag waves, and

Whereas: Flag Day on June 14th is a national holiday which is celebrated by Americans throughout the country, when we reflect on the meaning and significance of our “Grand Old Flag, the emblem of, the land we love.” Every day of the year our flag flies over the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court Building, national cemeteries, county courthouses, and homes throughout our nation. In the churches, schools, and classrooms, all Americans, young and old, respectfully rise to their feet to pledge allegiance to the flag we love, and

Whereas: The United States Flag precedes every United States delegation on foreign soil, and is flown over every U.S. Embassy throughout the world, and

Whereas: In July 1969, images of Apollo 11 astronauts planting the American flag on the Moon signaled a profound achievement for the United States and the entire world, and

Whereas: In 1861 Henry Beecher Stowe stated, “Our Flag carries American ideas, American history, and American feelings. Beginning with the Colonies, and coming down to our time, in its sacred heraldry, in its glorious insignia, it has gathered and stored chiefly this supreme idea: Divine right of liberty in man. Every color means liberty; every thread means liberty; every form of star and beam or stripe of light means liberty: not lawlessness, not license; but organized institutional liberty, - liberty through law, and laws for liberty. It is not a painted rag. It is a whole national history. It is the Constitution. It is the government. It is the free people that stand in the government of the Constitution,” and

Therefore: The history of our country is one of loving and honoring our American flag. It is worthy of respect and protection. Laws must be enacted by our United States Congress to criminalize desecration of the United States Flag on American soil, making it a federal crime to “knowingly cast contempt upon any flag of the United States by publicly mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning, or trampling upon it.” Congress must not allow this law to be subject to Judicial Review, which is within the power of Congress, Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 2 of the United States Constitution.

Our heartfelt prayers and sympathy go out to all those involved and affected by the horrific shootings in Arizona. But the solutions voiced by the radical liberal media to ban guns and censor speech are alarming and unconstitutional. My thoughts are racing in a "what if" direction. What if this killer had been taught throughout his life that life is precious and valuable because each one is created by God in His own image and likeness. That God has a meaningful plan and purpose for each life from conception until natural death and "Thou shalt not murder" is a command from the One who gave us life. Every person's life is so important to God that if someone intentionally destroys that life, his own life will be taken from him. What if this killer had been taught the truth instead of horrible lies about just being an animal who evolved without purpose or significance. What we are taught and what we think makes a difference in who we become and what we do. Instead of trying to prevent crime by taking away all our God-given freedom, why don't we ban and censor all the lies that our children are learning day after day, year after year in schools that have removed that very truth that will build good character and hold all life sacred.

The November 18th meeting of the Alabama State School Board was packed with hundreds of patriotic citizens speaking out with strong objections against the Obama Takeover in Alabama Education. Federalizing education removes parental authority and goes hand in glove with the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child which the Obama Administration favors. It is the same philosophy - the socialist idea that the children belong to the state, not the parents. Requiring all Alabama children to be in compliance with "world standards" and global government will be much easier now with the "cookie cutter" education from the top down. Governor Bob Riley and six other radical Obama puppets obviously believed that the federal government knows what is best for our children when they voted to relinquish parental, local, and state authority to the feds. Many Alabama citizens disagree and large numbers were were there at the School Board meeting presenting logical, cogent arguments against the "common core standards" which are very common and mediocre, and are rotten to the core. Three to four hundred parents, grandparents argued, pleaded, and begged the Board not to inflict the Obama agenda on our state and our children but to no avail. Regardless of the transfer of power from Alabama to the federal government, regardless of the enormous cost to us of a complete overhaul of the education system, regardless of the homosexual promotion mandates by Arne Duncan and Kevin Jennings in the Dept. of Education, the Alabama Board of Education, (except for the courageous Betty Peters and Stephanie Belle who opposed it and voted against it) voted to send Alabama children "down the river." The arrogance of power once again showed its iron will and shook an iron fist in the face of the American people. If we want to know what our children will look like after a few years of federal indoctrination, just look at the anti-American radical leftists in the Obama administration. We saw it happen in Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union. Control the curriculum and you control the ideas that are taught. Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have bad consequences. The Obama Race to the Top with the Common Core Standards is a very bad idea...

Our first military chaplains were authorized by the Second Continental Congress at the request of our first Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington. In fact, his acceptance of the position leading the army was conditional upon two points: one, that paid Christian chaplains would be appointed for our troops' spiritual well-being during the war; two, that he would receive no salary for his own services.

Now the very existence of our military chaplains is being threatened by the Obama administration's attempt to change the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to permit open displays of homosexual behavior in the military. Christian and Jewish Chaplains will not be permitted to teach Biblical doctrine regarding homosexuality. They can be discharged from the service for their refusals to perform "marriages" between persons of the same gender. A host of consequences, including losing their military careers and retirement benefits, can be meted out to chaplains who will not compromise Biblical truths.

Our troops will be severely punished as well, losing the caring, compassionate guidance and ministry of good people, just when they need them most, during time of war.

Let's show our support for our troops and chaplains, too, by informing our communities, pastors and churches about this dreadful and dangerous change that is likely coming in December by the Obama Administration.